Women of CoreNet February Program:
Identity, Diversity and Inclusion: Now More Than Ever. . . A Conversation About Progress, Practice, Culture and Community

The Northern California Chapter of Women of CoreNet are pleased to present:

D I V E R S I T Y.  It can be a subject of controversy or one some to choose to avoid.  Some consider it a trend or a word that has been over played, but it is way more than asking someone “what is your pronoun”. It is about organizations and careers and professions and people that acknowledge (and celebrate) “all” not just categories, hyphenates, subsets, races, genders, and religions of some.  Diversity is about “all”. Women of CoreNet Committee have invited Cheryl Durst, Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA), and Bärí Williams, Head of Business Operations Management, North America at StubHub to discuss diversity and inclusion.  In this conversational setting we will explore how both Diversity and Inclusion can be about “alignment”, allies, and champions and overwhelmingly about identity. Our speakers will share their perspectives and professional responsibilities as it relates to today’s Tech Corporations and Architecture and Design professions managing and creating a diverse and inclusive workplace.

              ‘Diversity gets people in the door; inclusion keeps them there’. – Bari Williams.

The program will be held at Palo Alto Network’s new Corporate Campus; 3000 Tannery Way, Santa Clara, CA 95054. We are excited to announce that their CRE team has offered to coordinate tours following the program. Tours will be limited so please email the office at nocalchapter@corenetglobal.org to reserve your spot. PLEASE NOTE, a photo ID and signed NDA (available at Check-In) are required.

Wednesday, February 28th

Palo Alto Networks, 3000 Tannery Way, Santa Clara, CA 95054

3:30 registration

4:00 program start

5:30 Networking, food and drinks

7pm Close

Please park in the garage. An officer will be posted at the gate facing Building 1 (3000 Tannery Way). Attendee must say that they are here for the Women of CoreNet Event and park on the upper floors. Please walk around the building into the main lobby.

Thank you to our Annual Sponsors:

DES Architects & Engineers
MAI Construction
Tandus Centiva

Thank you to our Program Sponsor:

 InsideSource

Cheryl S. Durst, HON. FIIDA, LEED AP

An exceptional communicator, innovator, and visionary leader, Cheryl Durst has spurred progress, driven change, and encouraged the expansion of the Interior Design industry. As the Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA), Cheryl is committed to achieving broad recognition for the value of design and its significant role in society through both functionality and engagement in every day work spaces and the built environment.

In 1997, Cheryl joined IIDA as the Senior Director of Education and Professional Development. Promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer in 1998, she began the task of rebuilding and redefining the organization, which was teetering on the brink of bankruptcy and closure due to organizational mismanagement. Despite this significant challenge, Cheryl implemented an aggressive fiscal redevelopment and turnaround strategy. Through her efforts, she revived the association and repositioned it as a profitable enterprise, engaging 15,000 members across 58 countries—IIDA is integral to the commercial interior design community and dedicated to advancing the profession of interior design.

Cheryl oversees the strategic direction of IIDA, curates and publishes Perspective, the Association’s thought-leadership journal, leads the Association’s International Board of Directors, and manages the IIDA professional staff, headquartered in Chicago.

She holds dual bachelor degrees in print journalism and economics from Boston University and is a LEED-accredited Professional (LEED AP). Cheryl’s ability to engage audiences with insight and humor has positioned her as a sought-after keynote speaker, guest lecturer, panelist, and moderator at both domestic and global conferences and seminars. She is a member of the World Future Society and firmly believes in the connection between place, history, and human behavior, as well as the effect attitude, culture, and design have on shared-space environments. Cheryl is also the creator and curator of the innovative IIDA series, What Clients Want, which offers readers in-depth examination of the designer/client relationship. 

In recognition of her contributions to IIDA and the profession of design, Cheryl was awarded Honorary IIDA Fellowship by the International Board of Directors in 2009. In 2015 and 2017, she was named one of New city’s Design 50, an annual list of influencers who promote and present design in Chicago. Cheryl has been referred to by Interior Design magazine as “an ambassador for innovation and expansion, and a visionary strategist.” Cheryl was inducted into the prestigious Interior Design magazine Hall of Fame in 2016, as the first recipient of its Leadership Award.

Bärí A. Williams

Bari is Head of Business Operations Management, North America at StubHub as of January 2017. In this role, she is responsible for business planning and operations, including cross functional work with Product, Marketing, Strategy, Partnerships, Customer Service, Trust and Safety to manage and oversee technical metrics, product innovation, key strategic partnerships and drive P&L results across the company.

Prior to StubHub, Ms. Williams was Lead Counsel for the Global Infrastructure, Development, and Operations (“Inbound”) Commercial Legal team at Facebook. In this role, she drafted and negotiated contracts supporting Facebook’s internet.org connectivity efforts, building aircrafts, satellites, and lasers, along with purchasing and procurement to keep the company running – from software and hardware for the development of new products for users, including marketing messenger bots for Tommy Hilfiger during Fashion Week, to deals for supplies and equipment needed to take care of Facebook employees worldwide. Additionally, she also successfully took on the passion project of developing strategy and implementing the launch Facebook’s Supplier Diversity Program, announced at White House Demo Day in 2015, and officially launched at NMSDC in October 2016. She also served on Facebook’s Black Employee Resource Group leadership team, which recently had its successful inaugural “Black Leadership Day” event.

Prior to joining Facebook, Ms. Williams was an attorney at CSAA Insurance Exchange, formerly known as AAA Insurance, where her work focused on commercial contracts, primarily in the IT space, and privacy.

Ms. Williams has been a featured speaker on panels at festivals and events, and has been featured on TheRoot.com, and in Black Enterpriseand Essence magazines. She is a 2015 recipient of the National Bar Association’s “40 Under 40” award, recognizing young attorneys excelling in achievement, innovation, vision, leadership and legal community involvement in their careers, as well as their “Excellence in Legal Innovation” award, and a 2015 recipient of the Digital Diversity Network’s “Top 40 Under 40: Tech Diversity” award.

Ms. Williams is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley (BA, Mass Communications), St. Mary’s College of California (MBA), the University of California, Los Angeles (MA, African-American Studies), and the University of California, Hastings College of Law (JD). She is also very active in her community as a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., The Links, Incorporated, and in political organizing and fundraising at the local, state, and national level. An Oakland native, she and her husband, Jaime, live in Oakland with their two children.

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